Ernest George Sutherland (26 April 1894 – 8 July 1936), also known as Buz Sutherland, was a New Zealand athlete.[2] Well known in his home country, he stayed in South Africa in 1922 after touring with a New Zealand team. He competed for South Africa at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris and came fifth in the decathlon. He returned to New Zealand in 1926.[3]
Born in Palmerston North on 26 April 1894, Sutherland was the son of Jessie and William Sutherland.[1][4] In May 1915, he enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, serving overseas for three years and six months as a rifleman in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, and seeing active service in North Africa and France.[1][5] He was wounded in action, suffering a severe gunshot wound to his left thigh, at Bir Shola in January 1916 during the Senussi campaign.[1][6]
In all, Sutherland won 12 New Zealand national athletic championship titles across six field disciplines. His only title before leaving to fight in World War I was in the triple jump in 1915, his other 11 titles coming after the war. These were in: the triple jump in 1920; the high jump in 1920 and 1921; the long jump in 1920, 1922, 1927, and 1928; the javelin throw in 1921 and 1922; the shot put in 1927; and finally the pole vault in 1929.[7]
Sutherland was a policeman. He had a fatal fall from his bicycle on 8 July 1936 in Palmerston North when his shoulder strap became entangled with his knee and handlebars. He went head-first over his handlebar and broke his neck.[8][9]
